The lockdown in Melbourne is getting longer AGAIN! We’ve already almost spent a year in lockdown since March 2020.
I am crossing my fingers for individuals, businesses, organisations, overall this society will stay strong.
Meanwhile, businesses are forced to shut again. Events are cancelled or postponed. Then I found this post from the exhibition I planned to visit.
how to make vincentea or any art inspired tea craft.
1. Choose which portrait you want to use
For the re-create Vincent Van Gogh’s portrait challenge, I chose Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat.
Title: Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler)
Artist: Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)
Date: 1887
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 16 x 12 1/2 in. (40.6 x 31.8 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot (1876-1967), 1967
Accession Number: 67.187.70a
2. Choose which tea, teaware you want to use
Thanks to tea, it took me a second to come up with an idea.
I instantly grabbed my teacup, a tea strainer.
I used Japanese Sencha made in Australia to show my respect for the exhibition and also to honour Vincent Van Gogh.
3. Create ambience you want to use
I wanted to create a low dim light. To create this, I changed my lightbulb colour to blue and used starry lights.
That's it!
This was very simple, yet fun tea craft activity. I also made a making film that you can see how I created Vincentea.
This can be a great family friendly activity for people with kids.
To the dreamers
While looking up the portraits painted by Vincent Van Gogh, I found out that Vincent drew himself because of short of funds and want of a model.
“Van Gogh produced more than twenty self-portraits during his Parisian sojourn (1886–88). Short of funds but determined nevertheless to hone his skills as a figure painter, he became his own best sitter: “I purposely bought a good enough mirror to work from myself, for want of a model.” This picture, which shows the artist’s awareness of Neo-Impressionist technique and color theory, is one of several that are painted on the reverse of an earlier peasant study.”
I can’t imagine life pursuing a dream even if that means dealing with loneliness, hunger, contempt, mockery and numerous life struggles. That’s probably why my Vincentea looks cute, yet looking like it needs some hugs 🙁
Regardless, Making Vincentea is a great tea craft activity for family with kids or adults to have self-reflect time. To the dreamers (including myself), I hope life treats us kindly. 
Sources & More Info
- About the LUME Exhibition: https://thelume.com/melbourne/
- About Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436532#:~:text=Van%20Gogh%20painted%20The%20Potato,Hat%20on%20the%20other%20side.
